International Journal of Scientific Research in Biological Sciences
Not a member yet
697 research outputs found
Sort by
Statistical Modeling of the Impact of Major Insect Pests of Watermelon on its Agronomic Performance: Linear Regression Perspective
Get PDFStudies on the impact of major pests of watermelon on its agronomic performance are hard to find. This paper presents the relationship between the agronomic performance of watermelon and density of its major insect pests with the aid of correlation and linear regression models using data collected from forty (40 m2) plots grouped into 4 replicates (10 plots/replicate) in field experiments in the early- and late-sown crop of 2016 and 2017 in the Research Farm of Federal University, Wukari, Nigeria. Plant survival rate (%) negatively and significantly (P < 0.05) correlated with each of mean number leaf-feeding beetles, A. gossypii density and B tabaci density in both the early- and late-sown crops of 2016, respectively; with a similar trend in 2017. All parameters significantly (P < 0.05) fitted the linear regression model. Densities of all major pests consistently correlated negatively and significantly with fruit yield. Student’s t-test detected significant differences between the pest and agronomic characters of the early- and late-sown crops of both years. We therefore conclude that watermelon experiences multiple pest infestations whose compositions and intensities vary between seasons and that, their influence on agronomic performance as shown by the coefficient of determination (R2) values (which were indicative of the effect of pests on crop performance) were largely > 50 %. Lower pest infestation (frequency and intensity) was also empirically shown to give rise to better growth indices and higher yields.
 
Biodegradation of Organo phosphorous Pesticide Dichlorvos by bacteria isolated from field sample
Get PDFThe extensive use of pesticides is considered to be one of the major causes of soil and water pollution in agricultural sector. As it enters the food chain, humans on the other hand are directly or indirectly victimized. In order to counteract the situation, such contaminants need to be removed from the environment. The safest approach to clean the environmental pollution in an eco-friendly way is by employing microorganisms, a process termed as biodegradation. Dichlorvos is an organophosphorus pesticide widely used as insecticide to control pest in agriculture.In the present study an attempt was made to screen for potential Dichlorvos degrading bacteria. The soils collected from various field samples are subjected to enrichment culture technique using various concentrations of pesticides in minimal salt medium. Of all the organisms screened only four isolates labelled as SA, SB, SC and SD showed degradative activity. Organophosphate enzyme assay was performed to confirm the degradation by using UV-Visible spectrophotometer. However further studies are to be done to check whether the cultures are showing complete degradation, partial degradation or bioconversion.
 
Evaluation of Prodigiosin pigment for antimicrobial and insecticidal activities on selected bacterial pathogens & household pests.
Get PDFBacterial pigments are gaining commercial importance in various industries like food, textile, cosmetics, pharmaceutical and other industries. Bacterial pigments are advantageous over others as they are cost effective and eco friendly. Prodigiosin has been reported to have many applications such as antibacterial, antifungal, tumor suppressor, antimalarial, antiprotozoal, immunosuppressive etc. due to its natural red pigmentation. Applications of prodigiosin prompts one to develop a cost-effective bioprocess for its production. Multi-facilitated potency of prodigiosin pigment produced by Serratia could be explored not only for antibacterial and antifungal but also as effective biocontrol agent in agriculture. Present study therefore aimed to obtain a potential isolate of Serratia for prodigiosin production. Evaluation of the pigment was carried out with four bacterial strains, two fungal plant pathogens and four insect pests. Peanut broth when inoculated with the isolate could yield maximum pigment production at 300C for 72hours. The extracted pigment purity was confirmed by the spectrophotometric method and also by TLC. Prodigiosin was observed to be effective against E.coli and Staphylococcus with an MIC value of 400 µg.However it had no impact on Pseudomonas and Bacillus cultures. When compared with the standard Nistatin, MIC of the pigment was observed as 80 µg. for Alternaria and for Fusarium MIC was observed at 160 µg. Insecticidal activity 100 % mortality was found against Cockroaches and tropical ants while 85 -71% was observed with termites and pyramid ants.
 
Determination and Comparison of Chemical Properties of Fatty Acids extracted from Processed Foods
Get PDFOils and fats are important part of human diet and are a rich source of dietary energy. The chemical composition of vegetable oils is saturated, unsaturated fatty acids and glycerides. Fats present in foods are susceptible to oxidation at high temperature as well their quality may change on long storage. The main objective of this study was to extract lipids from various processed food samples using diethyl ether and ethanol (3:1) as solvent mixtures. Chemical properties of fats like acid, iodine, saponification and peroxide values were assessed for commercially available packed oils, used or reheated oils purchased from local vendors and fats extracted from processed foods. Thin layer chromatography was performed to identify the type of fat qualitatively. The results obtained were acid and peroxide value increased whereas there was a decrease in saponification and iodine value in different samples when compared to commercially available oils. Changes in these properties may be due to various factors like change in temperature, processing time, action of moisture, degree of oxidation or storage time. Chemical properties of fats present in used or reheated oils purchased from local vendors showed remarkable changes for all the parameters. Lipids separated by TLC showed presence of saturated and glycerides. HPLC analysis showed peak at 214 and 240nm that indicates the presence of triglycerides and hydro peroxides. Consumption of deep fried and baked food products at regular intervals is a health concern for various reasons. Continuous monitoring of chemical properties of processed foods may give an insight about the changes of their properties during manufacturing, packing and storing of foods.
 
The lack of UME6 sustain 2- deoxy-D-glucose toxicity under inositol limitation condition in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Get PDFThe glucose analogues 2-DG exposure affects glycolytic enzymes. Glucose-6 P is the precursor for the synthesis of myo-inositol metabolism, 2-DG exposer reduced myo-inositol level. In the current study, we found UME6 deletion depict resistance to the 2-DG toxicity. The UME6 deletion increased the INO1 β-galactosidase activity even the exposer of 2-DG in (0.025% and 0.05%) under I− condition compared to WT cells. The sever growth impairment was observed in 0.025% concentration of 2-DG, and also severally affects the INO1 transcription in WT cells under inositol deprivation. The 0.05% concentration highly toxic no growth was observed under inositol limitation, which led to abolish the INO1 transcription in WT cells. The UME6 transcription factor negatively regulates INO1 transcription this could be the reason for the resistance ume6∆ strain of 2-DG toxicity with I− condition. We conclude that the ume6∆ resistant with the exposure of 2-DG under inositol limitation condition in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
 
Application of Immobilized Glucose Oxidase in Iron Oxide Nanoparticles in Cotton Bleaching – An Ecofriendly Approach and Greener Alternative
Get PDFCotton, a natural textile fiber that naturally exists with impurities and yellowish color until bleaching that imparts whiteness to the fabrics. In this current research, iron oxide nanoparticles were synthesized and immobilized with microbially produced glucose oxidase which visualized by scanning electron microscope showed 62 and 112 nm respectively. Conventional and bio-bleaching of desized fabrics was done efficiently. Weight loss and water absorbency results of bio-bleached fabrics had shown higher effect than conventional whereas vice-versa in tensile strength. To ensure the quality of bleaching, whiteness index was performed and showed 65.21, 67.14 and 69.12 that corresponds for conventional and bio-bleached fabrics. Recyclability of immobilized glucose oxidase enzyme was showed better usage for 2 cycles which were enclosed by the comparison of whiteness index. Hence, we conclude that immobilized enzymatic bleaching showed significance which lacks in control and free enzyme treated fabrics.
 
An Ergonomic survey of Health Status of the Handloom Weavers
Get PDFWeaving is a one of the time honored crafts in the globe. The handloom industry is mainly a rural based cottage industry, where the processes are done mainly manually. Some handloom product of West Bengal like “Sari” (a traditional Indian dress worn by females in India) appreciated worldwide. It is an extensive piece of art work exclusively done manually by the weavers. The product development encompasses a wide range of tasks such as manual sorting of raw materials, dyeing, cutting, starching and adjustment of loom, arrangement of thread and spindle insertion, etc. This study was aimed at evaluating the different health problems and socio-economic conditions of the handloom weavers. Three hundred forty (340) weavers were randomly taken from different districts of West Bengal and 108 people from the same localities and similar socio-economic background were also taken as a referent. Detailed job profile of handloom weavers was also analyzed with the help of established standard questionnaire. It was observed that all types of weavers belong to low socio-economic condition and suffered from several health problems like pain in different body parts, eye constraint, respiratory problems and many more to say.
 
Production Kinetics of Xylanase and Carboxy-methyl Cellulase of Schizophyllum commune in Submerged Fermentation Technique
Get PDFTamarind kernel powder (TKP), a soluble agro-residue was used to evaluate the production of xylanase and CMCase in submerged culture of Schizophyllum commune, a white rot basidiomycetes fungi. Soluble TKP containing xyloglucan as the major polysaccharide induced significantly xylanase production but CMCase production was not significantly improved. The culture filtrate consisting of xylanase and CMCase at a ratio of 10:1 (approx) and 1.5:1(approx) in TKP and cellulose medium respectively. It may therefore, be indicative that inducer molecules released from TKP or cellulose were not identical and Tamarind kernel powder, although structurally similar to cellulose, therefore, was found to be the perfect inducer for xylanase production in submerged culture of Schizophyllum commune. Use of mixed substrate in a single set of fermentation reveals that addition of 0.5 % TKP in cellulose medium improved CMCase titer, whereas addition of 0.5 % cellulose in TKP medium did not increased the production level of xylanase. Therefore, the present study reports the successful economic utilization of TKP, an abundantly available for the production of xylanase, an enzyme of industrial importance.
 
Histopathological changes in liver of fish Channa punctatus (Bloch) exposure in effluents of Bhilai steel plant C.G. (India)
Get PDFEnvironmental pollution is one of the most serious problems facing humanity and other life forms on our planet today. Since millions of years, natural resources had been stored virtually untouched in the Earth, but, within a period of a few hundred years, the onset of the industrial revolution led to massive exploitation of a vast amount of these resources at unimaginable rates. The result was the generation of large amounts of waste going straight in to the environment, seriously damaging its natural processes. This types of wastes if discharged directly in to the environment without treatment, some of these pollutants are responsible for various acute and chronic diseases, such as skin burns and rashes, bone abnormalities, lung and digestive system disorders in aquatic and surrounding land fauna. In the present study we want to find out the impact of effluents of Bhilai steel plant on the liver of fish Channa punctatus ..After the study we find that the Toxicants produce pathological changes on the fish liver such as necrobiotic lesions,damage in tissues vascular congestion and cellular degeneration in the in the liver of fish exposed to different concentration (10 %, 20 % and 30%) of effluents of Bhilai steel plant for one month exposure.
 
Sesoanal Veriation in Primary Productivity from Nanded Region, Maharashtra
Get PDFStudy showed that primary productivity status from site A maximum NPP was found in May (1.7 mg/L/hr), minimum in December (0.08 mg/L/hr) and average NPP value was 0.50 mg/L/hr. GPP was maximum in (2.3 mg/L/hr) in May and minimum in January (0.2 mg/L/hr) average GPP value was 0.97 mg/L/hr. CR was maximum in December (1.4 mg/L/hr) and minimum in (0.2 mg/L/hr) in January. Average CR value was 0.55 mg/L/hr in the year Jan 2013- Dec 2013. From site B Maximum NPP value was recorded in May (3.45 mg/L/hr) and minimum in December (0.06 mg/L/hr), average NPP value was 0.45 mg/L/hr. GPP was maximum in May (2.03 mg/L/hr) and minimum in September and November (0.2 mg/L/hr). Average GPP value was 0.86 mg/L/hr. CR was maximum in August (1.7mg/L/hr) and minimum in December (-0.20 mg/L/hr). During the study period average CR value was 0.30 mg/L/hr.